The invention generally relates to the generation of energy, and more specifically to electric power generation.
In general, electricity is produced at an electric power plant. Some fuels source, such as coal, oil, natural gas, or nuclear energy produces heat. The heat is used to boil water to create steam. The steam under high pressure is used to spin a turbine. The spinning turbine interacts with a system of magnets to produce electricity. The electricity is transmitted as moving electrons through a series of wires to homes and businesses.
A by-product of electrical power generation is heat. The efficiency of any system that generates heat as a by-product can be greatly improved by recovering or reducing the energy lost as heat.